Fading Silence
by Gambit's Belle Rogue
Summary: [Post Blood of Apocalypse Arc] She couldn’t bear to speak. If she spoke, it would shatter everything. If she spoke, reality would come into focus. If she spoke, she would have to face everyone. If she spoke, he would really be gone... [ROMY] [Oneshot]


Title: Fading Silence

Author: Gambit's Belle Rogue

Category: X-Men

Pairing(s): Rogue/Gambit (ROMY)

Genre(s): Angst

Spoiler(s): Blood of Apocalypse Arc (New X-Men comics)

Rating: PG-13, for vulgar language, and acts of major depression

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men comic franchise...if I did, this stupid storyline would have NEVER existed!

Author's Notes: This has to be the saddest X-Men fic I have written up to date. Since it has seemed to become a new trend with ROMY writers writing an angst fic about the issue-that-shall-not-be-named-as-it-never-should-have-existed (Issue #187, for those who do not know). So, I decided to take my own take on it. It's only a little over two pages, and I wrote it while I was bored waiting for classes. Reviews would be wonderful. Enjoy!

**Fading Silence **

Rogue sat on her bed cross-legged, resting her chin on top of her hand, staring into space with a small frown on her face.

Silence. That was the perfect word to describe her world right now. Though she would see people's mouths moving, their words fell upon deaf ears. She still saw colors, felt things, unlike what she had heard others describe this.

Her bottom lip trembled slightly as she shifted her position to hug herself, now burying her face into her arms.

She couldn't bear to speak. If she spoke, it would shatter everything. If she spoke, reality would come into focus. If she spoke, she would have to face everyone. If she spoke, he would really be gone...

Tears stung her normally stunning green eyes, and the Southern woman had to bite her bottom lip to almost the point of drawing blood to keep herself still. Her body began to tremble, her mind struggling to hold onto what little sanity she possessed left. Even the psyches in her head had kept their silence, perhaps feeling sorry for her and for once taking pity on her. Finally, she propped her elbows on her knees, holding her head in her hands for a moment before looking up to the ceiling, the tears finally falling as she gasped inaudibly for breath.

For a second, she paused, holding her breath until she realized there was nothing. Complete nothingness. The faintest traces of a crazed smile tugged at her lips at the realization; the silence was still there. The silence won out.

...She won.

Reality could still stay away, and she could live in her dream.

Every night it was the same thing: Rogue would change into her traditional uniform; watch herself in the mirror as she slowly brushed her hair before messing it up again, trying to make it into the frizz she used to have; then sit down on the floor, playing solitaire over and over again, each game with a separate deck, until she had used up all of the cards; she would stepped onto her window still and stare at the moon, holding the lone Queen of Hearts card in her hand; and finally, she would sit on her bed, still daydreaming, and force herself to keep silent, to fight her tears until exhaustion claimed her and she fell asleep.

Rogue had been like this for two weeks. She hardly ever came out of her room anymore, unless it was to use the bathroom or some times ask Bobby to buy her a new deck of cards. She only ate when Logan would all but kick down her door and just about force-feed her. She wouldn't speak to anyone, unless it was asking or answering a question from time to time.

Scott had noticed her secludedness, and both him and Emma offered her some free time from the X-Men. Rogue just ignored them both. Besides, where could she have gone anyways? There was hardly nothing in this world that she hadn't seen already, and the things she hadn't seen, she didn't want to.

All she saw was a man with gleaming red-on-black eyes that would always cut the most painful wound she had ever had and leave her in agony, but who would one day return to her, to love her once more.

Everyday, she would have this daydream, always looking for her ending, but never finding one. Still, rather than have it end in tradegy, Rogue clung to hope as if it was her only lifeline, the only thing keeping her alive in this world.

So, here she was once more, sitting on her bed, her eyes shut, tears staining her face with a dazed smile, delirious with grief and love over her cherished Swamp Rat. They were dancing on the beach, laughing, smiling, without a damned care in the world. Then, the coldness came, and Rogue knew what was to come; he was going to leave her again. She prepared herself for it, hugging herself tightly as the tears fell more rapidly.

He had left her again, but never left her without hope...

Suddenly, something new happened though. Her door was opening and someone had taken a step inside her room.

"Rogue?"

The voice sounded familiar, but sounded distant.

Her breath was caught in her throat. Could it be? She opened her eyes, smiling. "Remy!" she exclaimed, turning to the door, when her smile instantly faded.

"Hey Rogue," Gus replied as he walked further into the room.

The Mississippian glared at the intruder murderously. "OUT!" she screamed.

"But, Rogue, I just–"

She shrieked at him in anger and took a step towards him before punching his stomach hard, knocking him back a couple of feet. She grabbed the first thing she could and hurled it at him as he scrambled to leave the room, but she just barely missed him and hit the door instead.

For a moment, Rogue just stood there, breathing heavily, as she glared to where he had left. Slowly, she tried to calm herself, when all she accomplished was her body trembling as she struggled not to cry, though she knew it was pointless. With a shaky sob, her eyes glanced over to see what it was she had thrown at the cowardly Pulse, and saw the shattered glass and broken frame of a picture of her and Remy...

In horror, Rogue stumbled back a step, gasping loudly, covering her mouth with her hand as the tears flooded her eyes, realizing the truth.

The dream had faded. Reality had come crashing down on her.

...He was not coming back...

And her screams and cries echoed in the silent night.

**End**


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